How To Start Goat Farming In Kenya (Best Guide)

Goat farming in Kenya is a good agricultural business, they are less expensive than cattle to maintain and can bring you lots of money if you know your markets very well.

They are highly strong resistant animals that can withstand any climate. Since they are ruminants like cattle, the feed mostly on roughages examples are grasses, brouse plant, and fodder plants. A full market size goat can be sold from ksh20,000 and above.This, however, depends on your location and festive seasons. Goats reproduce twin or triplets twice a year which is good for business.Therefore if you are looking for an animal rearing business in Kenya which can fetch you good cash without much stress, then take a look at Goat Farming.Goats are mainly reared for meat, milk and hide and skin. The milk from the goat is the richest of all milk produced. Breeds of goats that can be found include:1. Nnadi2. Angora3. west African long-legged goat4. West African dwarf goat5. Bantu anglo-nubian6. Alphine7. Toggenburg8. Nubian9. BoerCost Of Starting A Goat Farm In Kenya?Compared to rearing other livestock, goat farming business requires little or less capital .You don’t need millions of Kenyan shillings to set up a goat farm, unless if you want to make it larger. But nevertheless , you can set up your goat farming business with not so much amount.Just bear in mind that you are setting up a commercial goat farming. When you’re in the business, as profits flows in, you can then put in more goats.Common Terms Used In Goat Farming In Kenya A. Buck (Billy) – Adult male goatB. Doe (Nanny) – Adult female goatC. Wether – A castrated male goatD. Chevon – Meat of goatBenefits Of Goat Farming In Kenya:1. Used for meat production;2. Used for skin production3. Used for milk production4. Creates employment5. Serves as an income generationThing To Consider Vefore Venturing Into Goat Farming In Kenya1. The Management of Goat:Management is very important. The management of goat from breeding to market weight or size is grouped into three phases these are;2. Breeding:Buck and doe are meant for breeding, they are kept in a building which is well ventilated. The buck and doe should be at least 12 months of age before they are used for breeding. Seven to 10 days before mating, the doe should be given a high plane of nutrition in order to increase the number of eggs ovulated, and consequently, increase the number of kids to be given birth to.3. Kidding To Weaning:When the kid is born the mucus membrane should is wiped off from their nose to enhance normal breathing and prevent suffocation. The navel cord which can break off on its own is dipped into iodine solution to prevent infection and promote fast healing. The kids where possible should be helped to suck colostrum produced from the doe for the first three days after birth.Weaning To Finishing:The kids are weaned and separated from the doe about eight weeks of age. They are kept in the growing house from where they can go out to browse and graze on grasses and legumes. With housing, feeding and proper healthcare, the goat will be matured for the market.System of Goat Farming In KenyaYou need to decide on the rearing system; they are three major systems1. Extensive system:Under this system, the goat is allowed to roam about in search of pasture and water. A goat can thrive on any edible material and browses even in extreme condition of drought and rain.2. Semi-intensive system:Under this system, goats are provided with the house which protects them against adverse weather conditions like heat, cold, rain etc.3. Intensive System:Under this system, goats are confined within the stall in a building with limited access to grazing. Grasses, water, medications are supplied daily to the goats.How To Start A Goat Farming Business In Kenya1. Set Your Goat Farming Business Plan: A good business should have a business plan. These assist you to pinpoint things you should do to improve your goat farm. Alongside, you should have record keeping if need maybe, it should document what has been sold, purchased. To know when you are gaining or losing.2. Make Your Research:When setting up your goat rearing business, you should determine the main reason why you are rearing goat; are you rearing them for meat, for milk, or for their skin?Make a market research of the one that has a high demand and will also profit you more and go into it.3. Location Of The Goat Farm:When you want to get a land for your goat farming, select a location that is good for pasture or grazing.Make sure the land is not far from town or market for easy access. If possible, let there be a market near the farm land, so you can have easy access to get any types of equipments you might need.4. Housing;When building a pen for your goat, build one that will shed them from rain and the sun. You can put electricity if need may be. The shed should be well fenced to prevent thief and burglaries.Also, the pen should be clean, should be free from dampness and well it should be well ventilated.The goat pens should also be free from pest and rodents. You should always use fresh hay or straw for bedding. Initiate activities like introducing toys or so your goats can move around. This also helps in making them healthy and active.5. Feeding:If you want a healthy goat, you need to give it quality feed, goats mainly feed on roughages that is grasses, bruise plants and fodder plants.6. Health Care And Sanitation Of The GoatsProper routine measures should be done for the healthy living of the goats. The stalls and pens of the goat should be cleaned regularly.Common diseases: anthrax, brucellosis, tuberculosis, rinderpest and red water fever. Drugs and vaccine should be administered at the appropriate time to prevent the outbreak of these diseases.7. Employ Assistants:Goat farming on a large scale cannot be looked by one person alone, employ people to help in the management if need be.8. Always Visit a Vertinary:In the event of the goats being sick, a veterinary doctor can always be of great help.With the help of a veterinary, you will know the right nutrient, mineral or medicine that will be administered to your goat that will maximum your profit and also you can learn new tips from them.If you want to do it yourself be cautioned that you might lose quite a number of goats in the process.9. Goats Maturation:This is the process of goats becoming mature. In goat, puberty age is between six and 12 month, some breeds maybe more than or maybe less.Sometimes, nutrients can also contribute to this. You should note that female goats (doe) go into estrus every 21 days for three to 50 hours.At this stage, some enough natural mating can begin. But since the advance of technology, some modern farmers practices artificial insemination. It is said that it allocates straight forward entrance to a wide variety of bloodlines.10. Marketing Your Goats:Before you fully start your own goat farming in Kenya, you should make a market research to know how much others are selling in the market so you’ll have a better understanding of goat business in your area and so that you won’t sell your goat below the market price.These are everything you need to know on how to start a profitable goat farming business in Kenya, if you have a question kindly drop it in the comment section below.